18, Jan 2023 | CJP Team

A video of a young man being beaten up by a mob has been doing rounds on Social Media. It has been claimed that the man being assaulted belongs to the Muslim community, and the assaulters are Hindus.

In the video, the mob can first be seen accusing the Muslim man of doing something, while the same is being denied by him. The audio of the said video is not clear enough to figure out what is being said. While one person from the mob can be seen holding the collar of the Muslim man as well as slapping him, other people from the mob can also be seen assaulted him and slapping him. Through half of the video, one man from the mob can be seen pointing a finger at the Muslim youth and talking to him. The Muslim man can be seen and heard requesting the people of the mob to listen to him and not hit him.

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One person from the mob can then be heard suggesting that the Muslim man should be thrashed more. The youth can then be seen folding his hands. The mob then suggests that he should be hit below his waist. While all this is being said, multiple members of the mob can be seen making a video. He is then dragged away from the wall that he was standing next to and brought to the centre of the mob. Two men from the mob can then be seen flogging the Muslim youth, hitting his legs with sticks, till he falls down.

As per the information provided, this incident is from Khandwa, Madhya Pradesh.

The video can be viewed here:

This is from #Khandwa District of #MadhyaPradesh.

People of #Hindutva Organization kidnapped a “#Muslim Youth” and attempted #Moblynching. Communal incidents are increasing Rapidly in Khandwa District. pic.twitter.com/JWIetsIDXx

— Hate Detector 🔍 (@HateDetectors) January 17, 2023

An FIR has been filed by the victim. According to the FIR, this incident took place on January 3, 2023. The victim, a student of MCA, was returning from a market at 2 pm in the afternoon when a girl came to talk to him, enquiring about some book. As he was talking to the girl, some 3-4 unknown people surrounded him and started asking him why he was talking to the girl. This mob then started abusing him verbally and physically too. As provided in the FIR, people who were passing them witnessed this incident too.

The victim later told his parents about the incident. He also informed that before the mob left him alone, they threatened him that if he is found talking to any other girl, he will be killed.

The FIR can be read here:

This is from #Khandwa, #MadhyaPradesh.

A #Muslim student, who is doing MCS, was brutally assaulted as he was talking to a #Hindu girl about books. #Hindutva group members took him aside, slapped & brutally thrashed him with canes.

An FIR was filed by the victim. https://t.co/ZpqpomgAkL pic.twitter.com/BZ6Jk1KEGg

— Hate Detector 🔍 (@HateDetectors) January 18, 2023

Incidents of moral policing are being increasingly reported throughout the country, wherein Hindu vigilantes assault or harass people travelling or conversing just because they belong to different faiths.

In September 2022, Wajid Ali was travelling with his parents, when reportedly a pre-dominantly Hindu mob stopped him, assaulted them all, dragged the man after tying him to the bike, tore the clothes of his mother. The incident happened on September 15, 2022 when a mob stopped him near Auria village. Amid religious slogans, Ali was allegedly dragged tied to a bike. The clothes of mother were torn apart & father was thrashed. Reportedly, the assault continued for an hour until Police saved them, said Ali.  In a video clip, Ali alleged that the family was attacked and thrashed owing to their faith. Ali and his family has allegedly led to little or no action from the local police.

Related:

Review of 2022: A year of discrimination & violence experienced by India’s religious minorities

Karnataka: Hate speech increased four fold, moral policing by hindu vigilantes on the rise

Muslim man thrashed for ‘walking with Hindu girl’: Karnataka